Five years ago today, I was getting ready to go to the church to put on my white gown and walk down the aisle. I barely slept the night before. My closest friends were around, helping me get ready. When someone told me James was nearby, I felt like I was going to jump out of my skin.

We have had a very full and fulfilling 5 years. We’ve lived at four different addresses, and now own a home. We’ve traveled to other states and countries. We’ve camped, cruised, retreated, conferenced, visited. We’ve laughed and (I’ve) cried and fought and celebrated. We’ve seen friends move and date and get married and have children. We’ve gotten through 9 months of pregnancy and have the most wonderful, adorable baby boy.

I am so grateful for you, James, and the life together God has blessed us with. I can’t imagine what he has in store for us to come, but I know it’s going to be amazing. I love you!

We had a backyard movie night, complete with a sheet, a projector, plenty of blankets, and popcorn. I shared how to do it in this post. It was so much fun, and I can’t wait to do it again.

But before the fun part, came the madness.

The week before, James was out of town for business. I did the little planning I thought was involved in a backyard movie night – get the movie, a projector and some popcorn. Done.

Friday: James returns in the early hours of Friday morning, and feels a little sick, probably something he picked up on the way. Later that day, he goes to work, while I watch the rain, and assume we’d have to move our outdoor night inside.

Friends start coming early, and pretty soon our house is packed. Looking outside, the rain hasn’t much affected the ground, and it’s turning into a clear night. So the show goes on!

Except. Except I didn’t know we needed certain cables for the projector. I didn’t know the movie wouldn’t work – in our dvd player OR on my computer. I didn’t know it would take so long to get Theo to bed. I did know our back lawn needed some weed whacking, but I hadn’t worried about it, since we weren’t having the movie night at that point.

My hubby to the rescue. When I am feeding Theo and putting him to bed, James is cutting back the weeds, hooking up the projector, realizing there is a missing cord, and SOLDERING ONE TOGETHER.

Basically, he spends an hour and a half putting together a movie night I thought I had planned pretty well.

As people pile blankets outside and apply bug spray, I sneak down to the garage to check on him as he works on the cord issue. I can barely look at him. I can’t imagine how upset he must be with me.

He is frustrated, it’s clear, but rather than exploding, he calmly tells me he just wished we had worked together on it, that it could have been a lot easier. As the night progresses and the movie night comes together, he actually tells me it’s a great idea, and we’ll know how to do it better for next time.

I needed his grace that night with me. With a backyard full of people, and feeling completely helpless, I wanted to just burst into tears and send everyone home. I expected an explosion from my poor sick and tired husband. Despite it all, James pulled everything together, and was even sweet enough to encourage me through it.

It’s just another reminder to me, on an even greater scale, of how gracious God is with me. Every day I make stupid mistakes, things I should have known better about, and every day God forgives and encourages me. He sees the potential that I don’t, and loves me even when I am disgusted with myself and my sin. I don’t deserve any of it.

“What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath – prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory?” – Romans 9:22-23, NIV

Grace is an undeserved gift. It doesn’t require anything back, not even reparations for the mistakes made. It shows God’s unconditional love. Even though it wasn’t easy, I am so grateful for the lesson learned, and hope I can display grace in my life as fully as my husband and God do for me.

This past weekend, for the Fourth of July, we got to camp with our singles ministry. I was a little apprehensive of taking Theo, but he did surprisingly well! Everything is a little more work with a baby, but we had such a great time.

We went to a gorgeous park, with campsites on the side of a big hill overlooking trees and a lake. We got to swim in the lake, of course hang out around the campfire, and relax in James’s new hammock (Father’s Day present – it was a hit!).

I’m excited to get to camp together as a family again. Hopefully soon!

People love some good ideas for things to do. I love saving money. So there probably isn’t anything too much better than finding things to do for free.

A couple years ago I wrote a post about our one-month saving challenge. We were saving money for a house, and decided to hold off on any spending other than necessities. It sounded good in theory – but was a lot harder than I thought! How long has it been since you’ve even gone ONE DAY without spending money? Maybe it’s just me…but it’s been a while…

But the coolest thing about not spending on extras for a month was realizing just how much there was available for us to do or get for free. It turned into a neat challenge to see what we could actually do. And we got to save a lot on the way.

Here are some great things to do for free (expanding on my list from 2013). It’s only thirty things – but I bet you can get pretty creative with it!

1. Use YouTube workout videos instead of the gym. Who needs a gym membership? Plus no one looking at you, no locker room, and your own shower. My favorite channel is Yoga with Adriene.

2. Use Pinterest for recipes. When we got married, I ordered magazines. But there’s really no point! You can get great recipes for free online. That goes for fashion and beauty as well.

3. Menchie’s. One of our favorite places to go for frozen yogurt was Menchie’s. (It closed here! So sad!) The best part is when you get a free membership card, you get $5 worth of frozen yogurt and toppings for free! With bonuses on your birthday.

4. Local festivals. Working for a festival company has made me take notice of all the free festivals locally. Lots of them also give out freebies.

5. Go to the library for books, movies, and TV shows, plus more. Oh, Redbox. Sure, it’s convenient, but those rental fees add up! Go to the library instead. Rent books, movies and even TV series for free. Lots of libraries also have free community events.

6. CVS ExtraCare rewards. I love CVS rewards. You can get your basics there, and then let the ExtraBucks stack up. Then, use like cash on those extra treats you’re not spending money on right now 😉

7. Keep an eye on your mailbox. You’d be surprised at the amount of awesome deals that come through there. I’m currently taking advantage of free iced coffee Mondays from Dunkin Donuts!

8. Enjoy local parks and hiking! There’s lots to do outside – take picnics, take a walk or hike, and bike.

11. Have you checked your wallet in a while? I know I have some unused gift cards to take advantage of! Usually they get forgotten.

12. Lend and borrow with friends. We’ve seen great movies and read new books this way.

13. Lots of museums have free days or hours for the public. Take advantage!

14. Volunteer as an usher at local civic centers and theaters. They usually let you get to see the show for free! Or try volunteering for festivals – they come with free admission and usually other perks, too.

15. Start a club with friends where you take turns helping or hosting. Got kids? Have one couple babysit while the others get a date or errand night. Or have one person host an event per week or month – like brunches or book clubs.

16. Sign up for coupons or free trials.

17. Makeover something you already have at home – use sharpies to decorate a plain mug, for example.

18. Utilize freecycle.org, or the free section on Craig’s List. I’m also part of a free stuff group on Facebook for my area. You never know what you’ll come across!

19. Go to a local vineyard or brewery for a tour. Lots of places have free tastings (but check online before you go). We have a local wine/beer store that does free tastings on Saturdays as well.

20. Host a game night (you provide housing, decor, and games), and have guests bring snacks.

21. Costco (or other wholesale stores) free samples. No shame in my game. (Also, did you know you don’t have to be a member to buy alcohol, or if you have a Costco Cash Card?)

22. Shop your closet and house. What things are not currently in rotation that you could put to use? You might be surprised at what you pull out.

23. Use everyday food items to make a DIY spa at home. POPSUGAR has a great DIY Beauty page on their website.

24. My local bookstore does trade-ins for new books! Try swapping old ones for new ones. We have a clothing store that works the same way, for credit to the store or cash.

25. Going somewhere? Make it an adventure! Plan your stops and sightsee along the way. Here’s a great road trip website.

26. I love Spotify. If I need a mix for a party or want to listen to certain music, that’s where I go.

27. Learn a new skill. YouTube or borrow a book to teach yourself something new! Think dancing, knitting, changing your oil – all kinds of options.

28. Have a yard sale! Free, easy way to make some extra cash.

29. Redecorate! Rearrange. Or just clean up 😉

30. Unwind. Take a long bath, meditate, light some candles. Relaxation is free! 🙂